A health care provider has prescribed both heat and cold treatments for an older adult patient with a leg injury. The nursing care plan reflects secondary diagnoses of peripheral vascular dis-ease (PVD), diabetes, and an allergy to latex

Question

Which of the prescribed treatments should the nurse administer and why? a. The nurse will use cold treatment because patients with diabetes and a latex allergy cannot tolerate heat.
b. The nurse will use cold treatment for this patient with a fracture because cold will help set the cast.
c. The nurse will use heat treatment because cold is contraindicated for patients with PVD.
d. The nurse will use heat treatment because heat will increase circulation and increase the threat of infection in the injured part.

Answer 1

C
Patients with PVD have blood flow problems that physiologically slow circulation. This problem would be exacerbated by cold. Heat will increase the circulation, which would be a desired ef-fect.